Dropping-bottle.



- No. 845,400. P PATENTED'PEB. 26, 1907. R. H. FERGUSON.

DROPPING BOTTLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. 1906.

AMA 4 3 @wflgw 3351 M a/litoz-ncqs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEOE.

ROBERT H. FERGUSON, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN OR TO E. R.SQUIBB & SONS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DROPPING-BOTTLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed November 15, 1.906. Serial No. 343.498.

To (Li/I, 1071 0771, it 777/14, concern;

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. FnneUsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at East Orange, in the county of ESSEX and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dropping- Bottles,of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

My invention relates to dropping-bottles, particularly for volatilefluids-such as chloro'iorm, ether, &c.-which must be very tightly sealedin their receptacles in order to avoid evaporation.

It has been found that the only kind of bottles that can be used forcontaining chloroform and which will ei'liciently prevent evaporationare glass bottles with tightly-fitting stoppers made of ordinary cork,the stoppers having a long bearingsurface for their engagement with theneck of the bottle. When chloroform and similar volatile fluids arepackaged in this way, evaporation is largely overcome, and at the sametime this is the cheapest and most convenient receptacle for originalpacking and shipping purposes when the chloroi'orm is manufactured Theonly difficulty lies in measuring out the liquid when it is desired tobe used, and this is particularly true, since only a few drops orfairly-limited quantity is ordinarily required at any one time. If thereceptacle is opened wide for the purpose of pouring out a smallquantity, the liquid is liable to boil and vaporize, which interfereswith measuring out the small quantities required, and it is alsowasteful and dangerous.

It is the principal object of my invention to wholly overcome thisdefect and to provide a very simple means embodied in the bottle whenthe liquid is originally packaged at the factory which enables the sameto be used as a dropping-bottle to exactly measure out any desiredquantity of the liquid, but which is absolutely tight under normalconditions.

With this object in view the invention consists in the features ofconstruction and combination hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a partly-sectional View of a bottle andstopper embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is I a similarview showing the parts in their normal or tight relation. Fig. 3 is atop view of Fig. 4 is a perspeca narrow zone of cork does not have thisef-- feet, but allows the liquid to pass under its own vapor-pressure.In carrying out my invention I make use of this principle and obtain areceptacle which is normally perfectly tight, but which can bemanipulated to permit the escape of the liquid at any predeterminedrate.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are designated by thesame referencesign, 1 indicates a bottle having a neck portion 2 with asmooth interior surface 3 substantially similar in its generalcharacteristics to any ordinary bottle.

4 indicates the cork, which is quite long, so as to enter the neck ofthe bottle to a considerable distance. The size of the cork is such asto fit quite tightly in the neck of the bottle.

Instead of having the interior surface of the bottle-neck smooth andcircular at all points I rovide a notch or channel 5 on one side of t 1einternal surface 3, and which eX- tends downward thereon for a certainlimited distance to the point 6. The cork 4 is also channeled upwardfrom its bottom edge for a short distance, as shown at 7. The channel inthe cork terminates at a point 8, and it will he observed that there isa zone or area between the points 6 and 8 at which the cork fits tightlyagainst the surface of the glass, no matter to hat angular position thecork may be turned. If, however, the parts are in the relation shown inFig. l, the channels 5 and 7 are nearer toone another than at any otherposition of the cork, the distance of separation being the distancebetween the points 6 and 8. If the cork is turned angu larly throughhalf a revolution, the channels 5 and 7 are at their farthest apartrelations, corresponding to more than half a circumference of the cork.In accordance with the rinciple above stated the liquid will issue omthe bottle under its own vaporressure when the cork is at the relation 0Fig. 1, passing slowly across the zone 6 8 from the channel 7 to thechannel 5. The liquid will therefore drop from the bottle at apredetermined rate, depending on the width of the zone 6 8. When thecork is turned to the position of Fig. 2, the channels 7 and 5 are soapart that no liquid can escape, and the bottle in this condition willkeep the liquid for an indefinite time without any appreciableevaporation.

'lhe channel 7 of the cork may be made in any desired way; but I preferto form this channel by merely filing or cutting away a small portion ofthe cork, so as to produce a flattened area. 'lhis simple arrangement isfound to be very effective in practice, particularly as any other formof channel is harder to make and is, moreover, liable to close up is useunder the expanding influence of the liquid upon the cork.

What I claim is A means for dropping volatile fluids comprising a bottlehaving a channel in the neck, and a stopper having a cut-away portionadapted to approach but not actually reach a position to register withsaid channel.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ROBERT H. FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

FRANK S. OBER, WM. M. STOCKBRIDGE.

